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But don’t look for airlines to cancel flights, tour groups to end trips or travelers to alter itineraries between now and Aug. 31.

The alert issued Saturday is so vague and covers such a massive area — the entire planet — that it appears to do little else than make the world seem frightening.

The impact I do anticipate is one that happens every time there are security scares, from al-Qaida plots to the Boston Marathon bombing.

■ Airport security checkpoints get tighter and slower.

■ Immigration/customs checkpoints for entry into the U.S. at airports and land borders get slower and more hostile.

■ Families with loved ones traveling abroad get more jumpy.

Travelers planning to visit cities in the Middle East or Africa — where U.S. embassies are still shuttered this week (19 nations including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) — should review their situation and perhaps delay unnecessary travel. If it were me, I’d sign up for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (https://step.state.gov/step/) to let them know where I am. I’d review the country-specific travel advice at www.travel.state.gov before making a decision. Many of the nations where the U.S. embassies are closed have more serious individual travel warnings issued about them, so travelers headed there should be aware of the risks.

Everyone else shouldn’t let this alert alter their travel plans.

Travel insurance policies rarely pay if you cancel a trip due to a government travel alert unless you have purchased “cancel for any reason” coverage (some pay if a travel warning is issued).

Meanwhile, Americans traveling around the world this week likely won’t see many obvious heightened security measures at airports or train stations. These days, a lot of it is done behind the scenes. More discreet than right after 9/11, but active nonetheless.

If you are traveling abroad this month, brace yourself for slower security lines, keep your wits about you, give your travel itinerary to someone back home and keep tweeting or texting daily to let your family know you’re OK.

It is also possible that the worldwide alert will be extended into September. Sept. 11 is the anniversary not only of 9/11, but also of the killing of a U.S. ambassador last year in Benghazi, Libya.